Teamwork pays off in Aurora drug bust

Federal officials aided in big bust

Aurora police developed information late last year on a major gang-related cocaine operation centered on the city's near east side, and it was quickly apparent that outside help would be needed.

Based on successful efforts with federal and state agents, Aurora police officials contacted federal authorities for help, and a task force was formed, Aurora Police Chief William Lawler said.

The benefits of a team approach became evident last week when law enforcers announced the roundup of 13 of 20 men named in federal criminal complaints of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

One of the 20, whom authorities described as a ranking gang member and major drug dealer, already was in custody. Six of the men still were at large.

If convicted, the men face a minimum of 10 years in a federal penitentiary because each is accused of dealing or buying at least 50 grams of cocaine, said First Assistant U.S. Atty. Gary Shapiro.

"It was totally a cooperative deal," Lawler said. "The federal people acknowledged they could not do it without our resources, and we could not do it without theirs."

The goal of the task force is to stanch the flow of cocaine on Aurora's streets and sap the gang drug trade that fuels other criminal activities, including shootings that have plagued the city in recent years, officials said.

"The overall objective, obviously, is to prevent what we believe are the most significant drug deals," Shapiro said. "If we can target the gangs that deal the drugs, hopefully we can quell some of the violence, too."

Lawler said the aim is to disrupt the gang's drug trade so that its funding dries up.

In this operation, Aurora police helped gather information and shared knowledge on the local gang hierarchy and the city's street culture. Federal authorities brought manpower, expertise on wiretapping and potentially tougher sentences.

At the heart of the operation, which is continuing, are federal taps of three cellular telephones used by two men who officials say are Latin King street gang members and major cocaine dealers. They are Juan "Orco" Corral, 29, of Aurora, who police say had 50 kilograms of cocaine when he was arrested on June 23; and Robert "Droopy" Ranjel, 29, of Aurora, who remains at large.

Federal authorities listened in on more than 5,000 phone conversations between April 2 and June 25. Those conversations are excerpted in 137 pages of affidavits attached to the criminal complaints.

Police say Corral, who was identified as a ranking gang member, and Ranjel, who was described as his underling and a dealer, are overheard making drug deals in code.

Conversations also dealt with collection, counting, storage and laundering of cash, according to the affidavits.

Corral and Ranjel talked about "gang matters such as shootings in Aurora and possible steps at retaliation against the Insane Deuce street gang in that city," the affidavits state.

Based largely on intercepted phone conversations, Aurora police on June 23 arrested Corral as he was returning from Hammond, the affidavits state.

When Latin Kings came up with $500,000 the next day to bail Corral out of the Kane County Correctional Center, drug agents confiscated the money as evidence. Corral, who also was being held on a parole violation, was not released from jail.

Intercepted calls also led to the June 8 Aurora police stop of Curtis Diggs, 32, of Chicago, who authorities say had ridden his motorcycle from Chicago to buy 6 or 7 ounces of cocaine. Police took $120,000 from Diggs' backpack, issued a traffic citation and let him go, the affidavits state.

"They just popped me off," Diggs was overheard telling Corral in a cell phone conversation after police stopped him, the affidavits state. Diggs was named in the complaints and remained at large late last week.

Police and federal agents say there will be charges against other drug dealers and buyers. Most significant are tapes of conversations about drug deals involving suspects yet to be identified, authorities said.

Evidence also includes 80 phone numbers found on one of the confiscated cell phones, videotapes of drug transactions, assistance of informants and pressure on those already arrested.

"I don't want gang members to sleep well at night," Lawler said.

Lawler noted that federal agents and prosecutors in recent years have been willing to tackle gang and drug operations in the suburbs.

Lawler acknowledged, however, that the operation is "no quick fix" to gangs, drugs and violence in Aurora.

"In order to keep this up, we need people to come forward with information," he said.

Although many people are hesitant to come forward because they fear retaliation, he said anonymous tips often help.

"Gangs use fear and intimidation as a weapon, and that's the part we have to break down," he said. "If people are calling to take those steps, that will be the long-term solution, not just running out and arresting some people."